6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A movie special effects man is hired to fake a real-life mob killing for a witness protection plan, but finds his own life in danger.
Starring: Bryan Brown, Brian Dennehy, Diane Venora, Martha Gehman, Cliff De YoungThriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
F/X was a sleeper hit in early 1986: based on a "spec" script from two unknown writers, directed by a first-time feature director, cast without major stars and distributed by the independent (and now-defunct) Orion Pictures. It was successful enough to spawn a sequel, F/X: The Deadly Art of Illusion (1991), and a series that ran on CBS from 1996-1998. The film's central device of a movie effects artist who is drawn into a world of crime and possible espionage wasn't entirely new, because the original Mission: Impossible TV series covered much of the same territory. Many of the IMF team's tricks involved disguise and faked scenarios, but those people knew they were dealing with dangerous adversaries. F/X was about a guy who, having spent his entire adult life pretending, suddenly found that the blood and bullets were real and had to adapt quickly. MGM currently holds the rights and has licensed F/X to Kino Lorber, which has issued the film on Blu-ray as part of its "studio classics" series.
F/X was shot by the Oscar-nominated Czech cinematographer Miroslav Ondrícek (Amadeus), whom director Mandel credits with designing a lighting scheme that would allow the effects sequences to be shot fluidly and effectively, minimizing the need for costly retakes. Kino's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray of F/X offers a sturdy presentation of Ondrícek's work, with a few minor issues. The source material, which probably wasn't the original camera negative, shows minor damage here and there; anyone who grew up watching films in the pre-digital age probably won't be bothered by these occasional dust marks and small scratches. The film's aesthetic is low-key and realistic. Rarely does Ondrícek apply stylized lighting with intense contrast or saturated colors, although the opening sequence (a bloody shootout in a fancy restaurant) and a matching scene later in the film (the DeFranco assassination) are exceptions. Generally, the colors and lighting are intended to complement Mandel's exploration of the relation between truth and illusion in a world where simulations of violence are part of our daily entertainment. Within these constraints, the Blu-ray image is reasonably sharp and detailed, with (mostly) solid blacks, acceptable shadow detail and a natural looking grain pattern that doesn't appear to have been unduly manipulated electronically. Kino has mastered F/X on a BD-25 at an average bitrate of 21.46 Mbps. I would have preferred a higher rate, but the bits appear to have been allocated with some care, so that demanding scenes like the car chase through lower Manhattan receive the bandwidth they need. Artifacts were not an issue.
The Blu-ray of F/X features a lossless DTS-HD MA 2.0 soundtrack that has been the subject of controversy. According to the film's end credits, it was released in Dolby Stereo. Some versions in other regions have been reported to have a mono track, and this Blu-ray release often sounds like a 2.0 mono release. However, after comparing it to MGM's 1986 DVD, which is listed as having "stereo surround", I believe that the Blu-ray features the same soundtrack (with lossless encoding). The track itself just doesn't have significant stereo separation or rear channel activity, no doubt because of budget constraints. But listen, for example, to the scene where Lipton and DeFranco arrive for Rollie to apply the makeup, appliances and squibs for the phony murder; rain is pouring down, and the sound of rainfall is obviously different in the left and right speakers. Bill Conti's suspenseful score (which sounds quite good in this presentation) also spreads fully across the front soundstage, while the dialogue (which is always clear) is pushed forward and centered—which wouldn't happen if both channels were identical. Overall, while this is far from the most interesting or impressive stereo I have heard on Blu-ray, it does sound like stereo. The effects layered into the mix are excellent, from tiny explosions to big ones, from cars skidding and colliding to all manner of gunfire, from huge panes of glass shattering in the opening sequence to a tiny hole being blown in a window by a sniper's bullet.
MGM released F/X on DVD in 2000 with just a trailer. Image reissued that disc in 2010 in a two-disc set with F/X 2. Kino has added some fine new extras.
One of the features of F/X that attracted Mandel to the script was its characters, and a big reason for the film's success was his casting choices, many of whom were character actors with little or no mainstream film exposure. Dennehy was probably the best known from films like First Blood and Silverado, but Venora was mostly known for stage work. De Young and Adams were familiar from TV, and Orbach was a Broadway star. Brown was well-known in Australia, but in America his only major project was a TV miniseries, The Thorn Birds. What they all shared was the ability to create believable people in the midst of a situation that rapidly escalated from odd to bizarre. Without their performances, F/X would not have succeeded, and it certainly wouldn't have lasted. Highly recommended.
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1991
Collector's Edition
1981
Standard Edition
1979
Limited Edition to 3000
1973
2012
1983
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1972
Extended Cut
2013
1999
1986
Unrated
2015
2012
2014
1988
La French
2014
2016
1974
1974
Kill Julian Drake
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2012